Depression can affect the best of us when we least expect it to. Research suggests that one in every ten people are depressed. No matter how rich, successful or even happy you are, you can become a victim of depression. And celebrities are no exception. One instance of a celebrity who has admitted to having battled depression is Varun Dhawan from the Hindi film industry.
Varun Dhawan played the lead role in the movie Badlapur, portraying the character of a psychotic, depressed son and brother, wanting cold-blooded revenge. It was a role that required Varun to get deep into the character and it went to the extent that Varun actually felt depressed during the making of the movie. Varun Dhawan himself was a little blindsided by this sudden turn of events.
In Varun’s words, “I was depressed. I was not clinically declared depressed but I was heading there. I was very sad to a certain degree. I don’t want to use the term ‘depression’ loosely because it’s a serious illness. It definitely affected my mental health. I was prescribed and did see a Doctor for it as well.”
Speaking about what caused depression, Varun had to say, “I don’t know. But maybe because I am young and I had not seen the things I got to see during the making of Badlapur. I think, that is why it hit me harder than it would affect a person older than me.”
Varun’s revelation comes as a breath of fresh air because he makes the point that celebrities and movie stars are normal human beings too, and are not immune to mental illnesses like depression and anxiety.
Varun speaking out about depression and earlier Deepika Padukone opening up about her tryst with depression and anxiety is a welcome change in a society where mental health is a taboo topic.
We hope that Varun Dhawan and Deepika Padukone set an example for the youth of the country that it is okay to seek help if you have a mental health issue. Celebrities endorsing availing support for a mental health issue is a small but significant step towards de-stigmatizing mental health and similar issues.
